there are 54% more calories in the cooked chicken because 6 ounces cooked started out weighing considerably more than 6 ounces.

Same thing with vegetables

1 cup raw broccoli has 44 calories

1 cup cooked broccoli has 52 calories....so here it's not a huge difference. But spinach will takemany cups raw to equal one cup cooked. And given you can eat all your vegetables raw, I thinkI'd be measuring vegetables in their raw state.

I just don't know how Dr. D calculated portions...Given SWAMI is showing me that my one sizedserving portion of grain is 1/4 cup I'm thinking that has to be raw....because it's a ridiculously small serving on a plate to be eating this tiny portion. I can sort of compare it to a slice of breadin calories to see if the two are interchangeable....

Some things are easy.....oils, fats, nuts, cheese, eggs....slices of bread.

Something like rice could double in quantity so I think when a package says 1/4 cup per serving, they mean a raw measurement.

Your question poses even more questions....because I tend to eyeball portions, especially if Ihaven't bought the food and cooked it myself.

I think when pondering the weight of foods like hot dogs, luncheon meat it makes me re-think if meats need to be measured raw or cooked.

a cup of rice would be after cooking.. food as you would eat it. served on a plate.

but in meat I am not so sure.. It cooks down in some recipies and then it might be twice as much in weight.

In Swami there are choices you make - to begin with - the way you eat normally.. you can chose small med large...

I think it matters less at the beginning as so much learning and adjusting is going on.. as time goes on it gets much easier and then reductions happen automatically.

Never be hungry.. is my motto.. and Dr D said it is stressful/ inflammation making when stressed.. Stressed backward spells Desserts.. hhhmmm

Isn't this crazy? After all this time, we're still dealing with this same question!

You think grains are measured after cooking? What does your SWAMI list as ONE portion?Mine says 1/4 cup. Doesn't that seem ridiculous that it could mean COOKED? How couldI eat 1/4 cup of cooked oatmeal for breakfast? It's like a few T.

I guess sliced deli meat must be considered differently. Weighed after it's been cooked.

Yes, since it comes cooked... Of course, most deli meat (unless specially processed) has junk additives that we shouldn't really be eating...

Posted by: Averno, Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 11:38pm; Reply: 7

Many prepackaged deli foods list ridiculously small portion sizes to keep the fat, sugar, salt and calorie numbers from shocking us into buying a competing brand. Or worse, thinking twice about what we're eating.

Yes, since it comes cooked... Of course, most deli meat (unless specially processed) has junk additives that we shouldn't really be eating...

Just to set the record straight....:) Our health food store slices fresh in house roasted organic turkey breast....only added ingredient is sea salt. I agree....junk additives...very very BAAAAD!!

Posted by: ruthiegirl, Thursday, August 8, 2013, 10:59pm; Reply: 9

I assume all recommended portions are for raw foods. Eating 5 cups of veggies a day is too much for some people- but if you realize that a cup of cooked spinach equals 2-3 cups raw spinach, the amounts no longer seem so daunting.

Grains I think should be measured raw, and not just because 1/4 cup per day is ridiculously small. I can take 1/4 cup of rice and cook it "al dente" and have 1/2 cup of cooked rice...or I can use extra water and cook it longer and have 3/4 cup of mushy rice on my plate- from the same 1/4 cup dry. Same amount of food, same calories, same carbs, etc- but 150% more volume on my plate! The grain portions ONLY make sense if you're talking about the uncooked grains.

I still struggle with keeping my portions down- I know I eat more protein and meat than SWAMI says I should, but I also know that I can't function if I eat too little, and when I'm having a "bad day" physically, I simply need more food than SWAMI thinks I do. So I don't even worry about the meat or oil portions, but I focus instead on keeping the grains, sugars, and fruits down. When I do that AND exercise, the weight starts coming off.

Grains I think should be measured raw, and not just because 1/4 cup per day is ridiculously small. I can take 1/4 cup of rice and cook it "al dente" and have 1/2 cup of cooked rice...or I can use extra water and cook it longer and have 3/4 cup of mushy rice on my plate- from the same 1/4 cup dry. Same amount of food, same calories, same carbs, etc- but 150% more volume on my plate! The grain portions ONLY make sense if you're talking about the uncooked grains.

Exactly! That's it. 8) :K)

Posted by: cat2, Friday, August 9, 2013, 6:24am; Reply: 11

I thought so too, that does make sense it's the meat portions I was unsure about but if the veggies are uncooked then the meats will be too I would think - otherwise it would state that surely?

I'm the same status as you ruthiegirl and although I love veggies, I could probably eat more meat than veggie portions it states too. However I don't have to watch my weight as I've always been a skinny minny, that can be a pain too especially as my type should cut out dairy and reduce my carbs. I'm also trying to reduce my cholesterol a bit so all I can think is to eat more meat and good fats like olive oil and nuts and seeds etc because I don't want to lose weight?

Posted by: ruthiegirl, Friday, August 9, 2013, 2:51pm; Reply: 12

I think that, if you don't need to lose weight, you need to look at the portions as minimums, not maximums. Make sure you get at least the recommended amounts of each food group, but feel free to eat larger amounts if you're still hungry. If you need to gain weight, then you may need to eat larger portions of things. Also, you don't want to cut your carbs TOO much- SWAMI gives you some fruit and grain portions, and beneficial choices in those categories, so be sure to make use of them.

Posted by: geminisue, Wednesday, August 14, 2013, 11:15pm; Reply: 13

I know with lean ground beef, a four ounce burger fully cooked=3 oz

I know 1/4 cup dried rolled oats =1 cup of cooked oats, following directions on box. My question do we eat 1 cup cooked or 1/4 cup cooked for our plan not directions on pkg. I would think 1/4.

I eat it dry, so I have 1/4 cup mixed with 1/4 cup seeds, 1T olive oil and 1T cocoa and stevia, mix and eat I plan on switching the rolled oats to oat bran, which will be more correct for me.